Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-05-26
A FEARFUL EXPLOSION
Eighteen Thousand Pounds OF Nitro
Glycerine Explode al Spirit
Lake, Mimi.
Lake, Mimi.
Fires Create Sal Havoc ia North
ern Michigan Lumbering
Camps.

DULUTH, May 20.-At l2:49 this noon
an earthquake shook the windows and
ratified crockery in Duluth 1t was
found to have been caused by an explo-
sion of nitro-glycerine at Spirit Lake,
eight miles from Duluth, at Dryer and
Emery's factory. Eighteen thousand
three hundred pounds of explosive were
in a wooden building fifty by thirty feet.
Where this stood is q hole 100 by 80
feet and fifty to forty feet deep. The
largest piece of the building found is
ten inches long. A three-inch cast-iron
pipe was found twisted round a tree.
Jagged bits of iron and tin were driven
into the wood so as to be inextricable.
Bits of iron and wood were found a full
mile from the spot. There we're eight
houses within half a mile. Every window
pane was broken. One house was com
pletely wrecked but stood. One thous-
and feet from the explosion trees were
moved down like grass. 1t Is not known
whether any lives were lost. None of the
wcrkmen were in the building. Two
tram ps were seen near the building Just
before the explosion and have not been
seen since 1t they we're in the building
not speck of them will be found. Mrs.
Saurk Just recovering from confinement,
was injured by timber falling across the
bed and crushing her ankles. The theo-
ries are heat from the sun and tampering
by tramps.
MARQUETTE, May 2O.--The fire at Camp
Three on the Sur. NIT division of the
South Shore road, although terrible and
covering a large erea, destroying large
amount of valuable pine timber wood and
portions of the camp, vas not accom-
panied by fatalities. The Italians worked
all night saving most of the camp build
ings. Reports from twenty eight locali-
ties show that on the whole the fires are
diminishing, though they are still very
bad in many places. Along the line of
the South Shore road they are now under
control with one or Two exceptions. On
the Felch mountain branch of the Chi
cago g. Northwestern road, the small
charcoal village of Whitney was entirely
destroyed, save supply store. The
principal fires are in Alger, Barclay,
Houghton, Neweenaw and Marquette
counties, and large tracts of splendid
pine and hardwood timber have been de-
stroyed.
On the Peninsula division of the new
road there are many bad fires. At O5cats,
a small Findland village. seven miles
from Houghson, 1900 cords of wood were
burned, acres of good timber destroyed
and the village menaced. Nels Beekman' 5
immense cord wood yard, few miles
from Oscars, containing 25,000 cards
is now burning. An engine ana fire com
pany has gone there from Houghton.
Advices just received from Tillet's mill
on Silver Creek, six miles south of this
city, state that tho mill is surrounded by
fire which is burning everything to the
waters edge ON both sides of the stream
for miles. A large force of men there
may save the mill. Higher winds prevail
generally and reports of fresh fires break
ing out are coming in rapidly. 1t is very
dry and no rain is reported.
II is believed the great wind-stOrm two
weeks ago and the forest fires since have
damaged the upper peEinsula fully $4,000
600 and the end is not yet. The fire near
the powder mills here have been extin-
guished